Bobbing head doll



Sept. 9, 1969 GARDEL ET AL BOBBING HEAD DOLL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 18, 1966 ATTORNEYS United States Patent M 3,465,474 BOBBING HEAD DOLL Robert Gardel and Egon Gorsky, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignors to Ideal Toy Corporation, Hollis, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 587,579 Int. Cl. A63h 3/36 U.S. Cl. 46164 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dolls head universally mounted on a doll body in cludes a counterbalancing weight at the end of an elongated member rigidly secured to the head and depending into the body so that the dolls head assumes lifelike position as the doll is moved.

The present invention relates generally to dolls, and more particularly to an improved mounting for movably supporting a head of a doll.

To enhance the play value of a doll, it is desirable to construct the doll in a manner accurately simulating human behavior and movements. Since an obviously prominent feature of the doll is its head and the articulation thereof, it is important that the dolls head have practically universal movement in its mounted position on the dolls torso and that this universal movement be further properly limited in extent to that corresponding to normal human head movement. Thus, a commercially desirable mounting should readily permit front-nodding, side-nodding, turning and compound degrees of head movement, and yet impose realistic limits to this movement. Any unnatural degree of head movement would seriously detract from the lifelike illusion of the doll, and thus lessen the play value of this product.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved mounting for a dolls head which readily permits all necessary degrees of movement and articulation thereof, but only within specified limits corresponding to the normal limits of human head movement. A further object is to provide an improved mounting for a dolls head which functions not only to permit appropriately limited degrees of movement thereof, but one which is also comparatively simple in construction and mode of operation, thereby being particularly adapted for economical mass production and assembly.

A mounting for a dolls head demonstrating objects and advantages of the present invention includes an integrally formed hollow neck on the dolls head which is accommodated within a neck opening in the dolls body. The mounting is formed of a cooperating swivel means including a first support stationarily mounted in the neck opening of the body and a second support, contained within the hollow neck of the head, movably mounted on the first support and movable with respect thereto in side and front nodding degrees of movement, turning movement and compound degrees of these head movements. Cooperating stops are provided on these supports in appropriate locations to appropriately limit relative movement therebetween to end limits of movement which correspond to normal limits of human head movement.

The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiment in accordance with the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a doll having a. head movably mounted thereon and wherein the head 3,465,474 Patented Sept. 9, 1969 is shown in full line and phantom line perspective to illustrate the extent of movement thereof in a side-nodding degree of movement;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the dolls head wherein the head is shown in full line and phantom line perspective to illustrate the extent of movement thereof in a turning degree of movement about the central vertical axis of the head;

FIG. 3 is a partial elevational view of the doll wherein the head is shown in full line and phantom perspective to illustrate the extent of movement thereof in a frontnodding degree of movement;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view in section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2 illustrating the structural features which provide the limited front-nodding movement of the dolls head as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view in section taken on line 55 of FIG. 4 illustrating the structural features which provide the limited turning movement of the dolls head as shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view in section taken on lines 66 of FIG. 3 illustrating the structural features which provide the limited side-nodding movement of the dolls head as shown in FIG. 1.

Reference is now made to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1-3 wherein there is shown a doll 10 having a dolls head 12 movably mounted thereon in accordance with the present invention. To increase the play value of the doll 10, it is necessary that the dolls head 12 be movable to simulate human head movement. This requirement, in turn, necessitates that the dolls head 12 be movable through a path or degree of movement A as illustrated in FIG. 1 simulating side-nodding head movement, a degree of movement B as illustrated in FIG. 2 simulating turning head movement and a degree of movement C as illustrated in FIG. 3 simulating frontnodding head movement. Further, while partaking of the foregoing degrees of movements A, B, C it is desirable that there be proper limits to these movements corresponding to usual limits of human head movements. Thus, as is clearly shown in FIG. 1, the dolls head 12 of the doll 10 hereof has side-nodding movement A of approximately forty-five degrees between limits corresponding to the reference lines A1 and A2, and as illustrated in FIG. 2, turning movement B of approximately seventy degrees between limits designated by the reference lines B1 and B2, and as illustrated in FIG.

'3, front-nodding movement C of approximately forty degrees between limits designated by the reference lines C1 and C2.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 4-6 wherein there is shown features of a preferred manner of mounting the dolls head 12 on the upper torso 14 of the doll 10 to provide the limited degrees of movement A, B and C. The dolls body or, more particularly, the upper torso 14 thereof is of a usual hollow construction having an outer wall 14a defining an interior chamber 16. At an appropriate location where the neck extends from the body, the body wall 14a is formed with a neck opening 18 into the body chamber 16. As best shown in FIG. 4, a depending annular wall 14b is formed on the outer wall 14 and actually bounds the neck opening 18. Wall 14b includes an annular projecting ridge 21 adapted to interconnect with a removable head retaining ring 20 which includes a mating annular projection 23. Retaining ring 20 is thus adapted to snap fit into the neck opening 18. Mounting projections are molded integral with the head retaining ring 20 at locations fore and aft of the doll body 14 and in the vertical plane of symmetry of the doll 10.

The dolls head 12 is similarly constructed as a hollow element having an outer wall 12a defining an internal chamber 24. Molded integral with the head 12 is a depending neck portion 12b of a suitable diameter such that in the operative position of the head 12 on the upper torso 14 the neck 12b is accommodated within the neck opening 18. The lower end of the neck 12b also includes a neck opening 26 in facing relation to the body chamber 16. An inverted cup-like structure 28 bounds the neck opening 26 of the head and serves as a support for mounting a part of a swivel, generally designated 30, which is employed to mount the head 12 on the upper torso 14 for universal movement, but at the same time imposing appropriate limits to such movement as indicated in connection with FIGS. 1-3.

The swivel 30, in the preferred embodiment as illustrated herein, includes a first inverted T-shaped support member 32 which is riveted at opposite ends of its horizontal leg 32a, as at 34 and 36, to the mounting projections 22. The position of the support member 32, as best shown in FIG. 6, is one lying in the vertical plane of symmetry of the doll 10. At a medial location along the horizontal leb 32a there is a vertically upstanding leg 32b having an upper edge provided with a V-notch 32c. Completing the member 32 is a machined notch or cutout 32 along the lower edge of the horizontal leg 32a which forms a pair of facing stop surfaces 32d and 322 which, as shown in FIG. 5, permit movement relative to support 32 until abutment against the stops 32d and 322 and thereby define the end limits C1 and C2 of the frontnodding degree of movement C. The manner in which the stop surfaces 32d and 322 provide these end limits C1 and C2 will soon be made apparent.

Completing the swivel 30 is a second support member 38 mounted in the neck opening 26 of the head and operatively mounted for swivel movement relative to the support member 32. As best shown in FIG. 6, the support member 38 has an upper end portion 38a appropriately riveted, as at 40 and 42, to the mounting structure 28 located within the head 12. Below this connection, the upper portion 38a is formed with bifurcated arms 38b and 382 which extend on opposite sides past the support member 32 and are connected, as by the rivets 44 and 46, to a lower plate portion 38d. At the juncture of the arms 38b, 38c, the upper portion 38a has a V-notch 382 appropriately machined therein which, in conjunction with the V-notch 320 of the support member 32, forms a seat for mounting the support member 38 upon the support 32. That is, the V-notches 32c and 382 interfit with each other and generally maintain the positions of the support member 32 and 38 with respect to each other while permitting the support member 38 to move with respect to the support member 32, the latter support being stationarily mounted in the neck opening 18 of the body. Since the head 12 and support 38 are connected to each other, the head 12 of course partakes of the same movement as the support 38 relative to the support 32. A counterbalance weight 48 is supported on the lower end of a support member 50 between swaged projections 52, the upper end of said support 50 being appropriately connected, as by rivets 54 and 56, to the lower end 38d of the support 38. The weight 48 functions in an obvious manner to maintain the interfitting connection of the V- notches 32c and 382 at the respective apexes of said notches, and being heavier than the dolls head 12 causes the dolls head to assume an upright lifelike attitude with respect to the doll body 14.

As may be best appreciated from consideration of FIGS. 5, 6, the lower plate 38d of the support 38 terminates in an upper arcuate edge 38f which operates in the cut-out 32f of the support 32 and which, in an obvious manner, limits movement of the support 38 to abutment of the edge 38) with the stop surfaces 32d and 322. In this manner, the head 12 mounted on the support 38 is limited in front-nodding movement C to movement within the limits C1 and C2. Additionally, and as best shown in FIG. 6, the distance separating the bifurcated arms 38b .4 and 380 determines the extent of side-rocking movement A since the support 38 is movable in this degree of movement until abutment of the facing edges 38g of the arms 38b, 380 with the stationary support 32. That is, the support 38 is movable from the position shown in full line to end positions wherein the center line thereof coincides with the reference lines A1 and A2.

Reference is now made more specifically to FIG. 5 wherein it is best shown how the dolls head 12 is appropriately limited in turning movement B about its central axis between the end limits B1 and B2. Like side-nodding movement A, the inner facing edges 38g on the bifurcated arms 38b and 382, and more particularly the upper portions thereof which terminate in the V-notch 38c, permit this degree of turning movement only to the extent of abutment of these edges against the stationary support 32. That is, notch 382 can be turned in its seat within the notch 320 of the support 32 until the edges bounding the notch 382 abut against the upstanding leg 32b of the support 32.

From the foregoing description it should thus be readily appreciated that the swivel 30 hereof thus serves to mount the dolls head 12 with respect to the doll body 14 so as to permit universal movement thereof but at the same time imposes realistic limits to this movement so as not to detract from the simulated lifelike aspects of the doll 10. This limited extent of universal movement contributes greatly to the play value of the product.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

What is claimed is:

1. A doll comprising a doll body having a first neck opening, a head including a dependent integral neck having a second neck opening, swivel means for movably mounting said head at said first neck opening including a first support member operatively connected in a predetermined orientation across said first neck opening and a second support member operatively connected across said second neck opening in a transverse orientation to said first support member and adapted to be movably supported on said first support member, a head-counterbalance weight, depending connecting means connected adjacent one end to said second support member for movement in unison with said head and connected adjacent said opposite end to said head-counterbalance weight, said depending connecting means including a pair of arms extending on opposite sides past said first support member and movable relative thereto to simulate a prescribed head movement of said dolls head, and cooperating stop means on said pair of arms and said first support member to limit relative movement therebetween to an extent corresponding to the extent of human head movement.

2. A mounted dolls head as defined in claim 1 wherein said second support member is located apredetermined distance inwardly of said depending integral neck and said first support member includes an upstanding projection adapted to extend within said second neck opening of said depending integral neck for movably supporting said second support member, whereby said depending integral neck assumes an extended position within said first neck opening when supporting contact is established between said first and second support members.

3. A movable dolls head as defined in claim 2 wherein said upstanding projection has inclined walls defining a V-notch in an upper edge thereof to both accommodate said second support member in a location at the intersection of said walls and to limit twisting movement of said second support member relative to said first sup- 5 port member to abutment with said inclined walls for determining the extent of twisting movement of the dolls head.

4. A movable dolls head as defined in claim 1 wherein said cooperating stop means includes said pair of arms being spaced a predetermined distance from each other such that abutment thereof with said first support member determines the extent of sidewise rocking movement of the dolls head and said first support member is oriented fore and aft of said doll body and has stop projections thereon limiting movement of said arms therealong for determining the extent of nodding movement of the dolls head.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,545,489 7/1925 Gans 46-173 2,786,303 3/1957 Zimmerman 46123 FOREIGN PATENTS 492,221 2/ 1930 Germany.

F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner H. DINITZ, Assistant Examiner 

